Possibility of Sulfur Removal from Ladle Slag by Oxidation in the Temperature Range 1373–1673 K

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to investigate the possibility of removing sulfur from used ladle slag by oxidation. Slag samples (solid, two-phase mixture, and liquid with a small fraction of solid MgO particles) were subjected to an oxygen-rich atmosphere in the temperature range 1373–1673 K. The sulfur removal from the samples of solid and two-phase mixture was found to be a slow process due to the slow diffusion. The sulfur removal was found to have little dependence on temperature in the range 1373–1573 K. When the slag was mostly liquid (at 1673 K), the sulfur removal was significantly increased. More than 85 % of the sulfur could be removed after 60 min of oxidation in pure oxygen. An increase in oxygen partial pressure was found to increase the desulfurization slightly. Increasing the Al2O3 content in the slag decreased the degree of sulfur removal.